LOCATION COUNCIL            WI+MN
Established Series
Rev. WDB-GWH-HFG
06/2000

COUNCIL SERIES


The Council series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in silty and loamy slope alluvium on hills on bedrock controlled uplands. These soils have moderate permeability. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 30 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Council silt loam - on a 19 percent north-facing concave slope in an alfalfa field at an elevation of about 980 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure with some weak fine and medium subangular blocky and some weak medium platy in the lower part; friable; numerous fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) fragments of organic matter; common very fine roots; a few very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

Bt1--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak coarse and very coarse platy structure; friable; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few light gray (10YR 7/2) silt coatings on vertical faces of peds; few black (N 2/0) coatings (iron and manganese oxides) on faces of peds; some dark brown (10YR 3/3) soil in worm channels; about 2 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--16 to 24 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam; weak coarse and very coarse platy structure; friable; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; common faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; a few black (N 2/0) coatings (iron and manganese oxides) on faces of peds and in pores; about 2 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--24 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse and very coarse platy; friable; few very fine roots; common very fine pores; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) sand grains coating vertical faces of a few peds; about 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--32 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak very coarse platy; friable; very fine roots concentrated mainly on faces of peds; common very fine pores; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt grains (with some clean sand grains) coating mainly vertical faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt5--52 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; common very fine roots concentrated mainly on faces of peds; common very fine and a few fine pores; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of prisms and in root channels and pores; thin strata of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2); light gray (10YR 7/2) silt grains with a few medium and coarse sand grains coating faces of some prisms; about 1 percent gravel; strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 34 inches or more.)

TYPE LOCATION: Monroe County, Wisconsin; about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Sparta; 1,320 feet east and 1,600 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 31, T. 18 N., R. 4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 36 to 80 inches or more. The particle-size control section ranges from 10 to 17 percent clay, 15 to 50 percent fine sand or coarser, and 40 percent or more silt as a weighted average. Coarse fragments are mainly sandstone channers but some chert fragments are in some pedons. Volume of sandstone channers and chert fragments ranges from 0 to 15 percent throughout. Reaction typically ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the solum but ranges to neutral in the upper part, where the soil is limed. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the substratum.

The Ap horizon has value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 to 4. Where present, the A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A or Ap horizon is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Typically, it is loam in the upper part and grades to silt loam in the lower part but in some pedons, it is loam or silt loam throughout and in some pedons it has subhorizons of sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

Some pedons have a BC horizon with colors and textures like the Bt horizon.

The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Typically, it is silt loam but in some pedons, it is loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam or has pockets or layers of these textures.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alvin, Boyer, Burnsville, Dryden, Eleva, Elmdale, Hillsdale, Lamont, Lapeer, Mecan, Oshtemo, Perrin, and Wyocena series. Alvin, Elmdale, Hillsdale, Lamont, Mecan, Oshtemo, and Wyocena soils average less than 40 percent silt in the family control section. In addition, Alvin soils have banded E and Bt horizons in the lower part of the argillic; Elmdale, Hillsdale, and Oshtemo soils have coarse fragments which are of igneous origin and mixed lithology; Lamont soils typically have sandy banded 2E and Bt horizons in the lower part of the argillic; Mecan soils have hues of 2.5YR or 5YR in at least the upper half of the argillic; and Wyocena soils have sandy C horizons within 40 inches. Boyer, Burnsville, Dryden, Lapeer, and Perrin soils have free carbonates within 40 inches. Eleva soils have a paralithic contact of sandstone at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Council soils are on hills on bedrock controlled uplands. These soils formed in silty and loamy slope alluvium derived from loess mixed with sand from nearby sandstone exposures. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from about 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from about 135 to 160 days. Elevation ranges from 700 to 1400 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eleva, Eyota, Hixton, Gale, La Farge, Norden, Seaton, and Urne soils. Eleva and Hixton soils are in landscape positions similar to those of Council soils where the loamy mantle is 24 to 40 inches thick to siliceous sandstone. Eyota soils are in similar landscape positions where the dark colored surface is 24 or more inches thick. Gale soils are in similar landscape positions where there is 24 to 39 inches of loess over siliceous sandstone. Norden and Urne soils are in similar landscape positions where the loamy mantle is 24 to 40 inches thick over glauconitic sandstone bedrock. La Farge soils are in similar landscape positions where there is 24 to 36 inches of loess over glauconitic sandstone. Seaton soils are in similar landscape positions where there is a loess mantle more than 60 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to very rapid. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many of the less sloping areas have been cleared and are used for cropland. Corn, small grains, and hay are the common crops. Other areas are in pastureland or woodland. Native vegetation is mixed hardwood forest. Common trees are northern red oak, black oak, white oak, sugar maple, red maple, American basswood, and paper birch.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota. Council soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Monroe County, Wisconsin, 1981.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches (Ap); argillic horizon - 8 to 60 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0328. Refer to soil survey sample number S77WI-081-009 for data on the typical pedon. Refer to soil survey sample number S85WI-053-021 for data on another Council pedon.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.